Dual Stars
by The Violet Banana
Summary: Dualpaw doesn't understand things like other IvoryClan cats do. But she sees things, notices things that no one else could. Maybe that's why StarClan chose her to go on a strange quest with strange cats, some from other clans, some from places she never knew existed. But the strangest thing of all? The fact she's meant to be the one who saves her clan. (Rated T because I'm paranoid
1. Allegiances

**Ivoryclan (Wind)**

Leader:

Badgerstar (56 moons)- Dark furred she-cat with white markings resembling a badger and amber eyes. **Apprentice- Daisypaw**

Deputy:

Mudpelt (32 moons)- Brown tom with torn ear and murky green eyes. **Apprentice- Sunpaw**

Medicine Cat:

Sweetfern (45 moons)- Cream she-cat with light brown markings and light green eyes.

Warriors:

Patchfur (60 moons)- Dark brown tom with black legs and tail and pale yellow eyes. **Apprentice- Blackpaw**

Blackeye (34 moons)- Silver she-cat with black patches on flank, legs and over eyes, as well as white flecks on tail and muzzle.

Dustface (32 moons)- Light brown tom with dark brown masked face, paws and tail tip. Missing an ear.

Scarfur (49 moons)- Brown tabby tom with black stripes. Has lots of battle scars. **Apprentice- Softpaw**

Leafpelt (24 moons)- Brown calico she-cat with rich green eyes.

Frostblaze (24 moons)- White she-cat with ginger flame-shaped patches.

Lightstripe (42 moons)- Gold and brown tabby tom with amber eyes. **Apprentice- Dualpaw**

Dapplespot (42 moons)- Large black tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes.

Queens:

Amberfoot (48 moons)- Ginger she-cat with white legs, chest and muzzle, and russet paws. Blue eyes.

Apprentices:

Softpaw (7 moons)- Small cream she-cat with dark cream tabby markings on her face, tail and paws and has yellow eyes.

Sunpaw (9 moons)- Large ginger tom with pale paws, a cream coloured chest and faint tabby stripes. Bright blue eyes.

Dualpaw (9 moons)- Black tortoiseshell she-cat with cream colored toes. Half her head is an orange tabby and the other half is black. Has one blue eye and one green eye.

Daisypaw (12 moons)- Cream she-cat with black ear tips and black heart-shaped mark on chest. Has amber eyes.

Blackpaw (12 moons)- Black tom with white socks and muzzle and has green eyes.

Elders:

Sandtail (60 moons)- Ginger she-cat with pale ringed tail and yellow eyes.

Oakleaf (60 moons)- Brown tabby tom with leaf-like markings and pale chest, neck and stomach. Has rich green eyes.

Whitewhisker (78 moons)- White blind she-cat and torn ears.

Kits:

None

 **Ivyclan (Thunder)**

Leader:

Fernstar (78 moons)- Wiry, golden-tabby she-cat, with multiple scars across her right flank. Fern-green eyes.

Deputy:

Crookedstrike (40 moons)- Huge, silver tom cat with a torn ear, scarred muzzle, and blue eyes.

Medicine Cat:

Swallowleap (28 moons)- Small gray tom, with patches of light brown and white, and pale blue eyes. He has one mangled leg. **Apprentice- Firepaw**

Warriors:

Flamefall (28 moons)- Cream she-cat, with thick russet stripes, and large, round yellow eyes. **Apprentice- Mallowpaw**

Heavypelt (60 moons)- A broad-shouldered brown-tabby tom, with incredibly thick, fluffy fur, and calm amber eyes.

Gingerleaf (60 moons- A slim, ginger-pelted she-cat, with brown stripes, and yellow eyes. **Apprentice- Mousepaw**

Birchwing (28 moons)- A tall brown cat, with black stripes around his legs, and dark green eyes. **Apprentice- Mistpaw**

Runningleap (38 moons)- Pretty gray she-cat, with blue eyes, long legs, and a very fluffy tail.

Blackfire (38 moons)- Huge black tom, with a white stomach, muzzle, paws, tail and chest, and large ginger patches, along with a torn right ear. Orange eyes.

Queens:

Kinderfur (54 moons)- Dark brown she-cat, with ginger patches, white paws, stomach, and muzzle. Yellow eyes.

Losteye (38 moons)- White, short-furred she-cat, missing her left eye.

Apprentices:

Mallowpaw (10 moons)- Black tom cat, with a white leaf-shaped marking on his chest, and yellow eyes.

Mistpaw (10 moons)- Dark gray she-cat, with white speckles, and a light gray tail and ear-tips. Light green eyes.

Mousepaw (6 moons)- Small, light brown tom, with oddly large ears, and long white whiskers.

Firepaw (6 moons)- Tall ginger tom cat, with brown stripes, and yellow eyes.

Kits:

Specklekit (2 moons)- Light-colored tortoiseshell tom.

Lightkit (2 moons)- White she-cat with green-yellow eyes.

Kestrelkit (6 moons)- Dark brown tom, with strange, large white markings, lighter gray-brown patches, and milky, blind yellow eyes.

 **Skullclan (Shadow)**

Leader:

Copperstar (45 moons)- A copper-colored tom, with a dark stripe down his back, and yellow eyes.

Deputy:

Tabbytail (67 moons)- Gray-brown tabby she-cat, with warm hazel eyes, and a nick in her left ear.

Medicine Cat:

Sparrowsong (45 moons)- Tiny brown-tabby tom, with lots of short black stripes, a white chest and paws, and copper eyes. **Apprentice- Yarrowpaw**

Warriors:

Dawnpelt (45 moons)- Large, long-furred she-cat, with patches of gray, brown and white across her pelt. Yellow eyes. **Apprentice- Icepaw**

Juniperleaf (45 moons)- Light brown she-cat, with white fur, cream stripes, and blue-violet eyes.

Leopardspot (67 moons)- Silver tom, with big, black spots like a leopard's, and a scar across his side. Yellow eyes.

Ashclaw (67 moons)- Black tom with gray claws and a white tail-tip. Yellow eyes.

Woodfur (45 moons)- Dark brown she-cat with gingery legs and hazel eyes. **Apprentice- Adderpaw**

Roseheart (16 moons)- White she-cat with a black patch on her back and yellow eyes.

Darknose (12 moons)- Small pale brown tom, with dark stripes, including one over his nose.

Queens:

Silverbelly (67 moons)- White she-cat with a silver stomach and blue eyes.

Apprentices:

Icepaw (12 moons)- Pure white tom, with one yellow eye, one green eye, and a small scar on his shoulder.

Adderpaw (16 moons)- Handsome, broad black tom, with light gray diamond-ish shaped patterns on his back, like an adder's. Orange eyes.

Yarrowpaw (12 moons)- Light gray she-cat with brown stripes and pale eyes.

Kits:

Curledkit (2 moons)- Black and white she-cat, with tiny, curled ears, and an oddly short tail.

Mothkit (2 moons)- Dark gray tabby tom, with very short fur.

 **Duskclan (River)**

Leader:

Wolfstar (50 moons)- Light gray tom with black stripes around his legs and orange, wolf-like eyes.

Deputy:

Blazefur (67 moons)- Bright ginger tom cat, with large white spots, and yellow eyes. **Apprentice- Mintpaw**

Medicine Cat:

Bloompelt (48 moons)- Sand-colored she-cat with ginger stripes, and green eyes.

Warriors:

Whisperfoot (48 moons)- Pretty, gray she-cat, with darker gray stripes, a white chest, paws, stomach and tail. Dark blue eyes.

Venomheart (48 moons)- A slender dark brown tom, with light brown and black stripes and green eyes. **Apprentice- Lizardpaw**

Weasel (50 moons)- Small, skinny tom, with shaggy fur, and numerous scars. One amber eye, one blue eye.

Deerfur (50 moons)- Elegant brown she-cat with white spots on her back, and fierce amber eyes.

Smallpatch (67 moons)- Black tom with a tiny white patch on his back, a gray tail and pale eyes.

Solemnsong (34 moons)- Silky-furred tom, with silver fur, and huge yellow eyes. **Apprentice- Fogpaw**

Wishfeather (13 moons)- Ginger she-cat with orange stripes and green eyes.

Queens:

None

Apprentices:

Lizardpaw (8 moons)- Black she-cat, with little gray spots like scales, and hazel eyes.

Mintpaw (8 moons)- Brown mackerel-tabby tom, with a white tail-tip, and white spots over his pale green eyes.

Fogpaw (10 moons)- Black she-cat with a gray tail and face, and yellow eyes.

Kits:

None

 **Cats outside the clans**

Foxheart (52 moons)- A dark ginger tom, with a black stripe down his back, and white paws. Bright green eyes.

Unknown (unknown moons)- A pure black she-cat, with beautiful, pale blue eyes.

Unknown (unknown moons)- A pure white tom cat, with sinister, dark amber eyes.

Lollipop (20 moons)- A puffy-furred white and brown she-cat, with a short muzzle and big green eyes.

Vine (20 moons)- A brown tom, with long, thin black stripes, white paws, and yellow eyes.

Lulu (69 moons)- A black and white she-cat, with wise green eyes, and a long, slender tail.


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

The large sea of star-speckled fur, divided only by two thin silver rivers, rippled with the light of the moon up above. Several angry yowls rang out, completely out of place for an area so peaceful-looking, but nevertheless, claws were unsheathed, teeth were bared, and snarls shattered the once-calm atmosphere as rage was felt by many a cat in the gathering. A large black-striped tom rounded on three others at the river's X-shaped intersection, each of them on a separate piece of land. Territories were visible in the distance, but were different on each side: one clan had long grass, with a sparse forest at the very edge; another had tall, dark trees wreathed with thorns; a third seemed primarily to be water, with several long strips of bird-covered land; and the final one had trees that, to others, seemed like they would take a moon to climb, trees that the clan cats of this region practically lived in. These strange pieces of land mirrored exactly the territories they had all once come from, territories th they were fighting about in a vain attempt to protect their former homes.

"We should tell them now," the black tom said, his strong voice cutting through the murmur of dissatisfied cats chattering in the background and carrying a hint of hostility. One of the other cats, a silver tom, shook his head, piercing icy blue eyes focused solely on the striped tom.

"They need to understand their power before we can warn them," He insisted, curling his tail around his paws. As calm as he tried to seem, he had unsheathed his blindingly white claws and was scratching impatiently at the dirt beneath his feet. "They need to be ready before it comes."

"It is not a warning. It is fate, and the more we tell them, the more time they will have to fulfill it," A stern tortoiseshell cut in, lashing her tail as she paced along the rivers separating her from the other cats, ears flat against her regal-looking head.

The silver tom just snorted, seeming to finally admit to losing his temper.

"You still want to tell them everything? I bet they would just trip over themselves trying to fill in pawsteps too big for them," He sneered, curling his lip back into a growl.

The striped tom stomped his paw down angrily. He opened his mouth in a retort, but the last cat cut in.

"Enough," Her emotionless gray eyes bore into the silver tom. "They are strong. They will survive. And as custom, we will tell them-"

The cream colored she-cat cut off when 3 cats, none of which she recognised, emerged from the crowds. A hushed silence fell through all the cats, as if the presence of the strangers made it hard to speak. One by one, each cat sprung onto the smooth stone that sat in the middle of the river, balancing precariously. A young silver-blue cat looked around at the Starclan warriors. A brown tom behind him shifted slightly, so that no one would see him nudge his younger companion. The young cat's nod in reply was almost unnoticeable and he lifted his head high.

In unison, they began to chant.

" _ **Through the misty veil of darkness,**_

 _ **the light will flicker out and die.**_

 _ **Unless the veil lifts, where upon a great duel will emerge,**_

 _ **to save many from the whisper of evil.**_

 _ **The tree can protect and save,**_

 _ **but in the end, only the dark and light,**_

 _ **day and night, sunrise and sunset,**_

 _ **only they will be able to vanquish him,**_

 _ **he who comes back seeking revenge.**_

 _ **On the fourth moon of the fourth season, beware,**_

 _ **for that is when he will strike.**_

 _ **And it is then that the loss will truly be felt**_."

The strong voices of the cats carried easily over their curious and attentive audience, their shiny eyes scanning the Starclan cats, as if daring them to speak. Then the brown tom shouldered the third companion, a midnight black cat, prompting him to start talking.

The black cat didn't even glance at the brown tom before he started to speak.

"A great darkness is coming. Prepare yourselves. No cat, not even the dead, are safe," his stormy gray eyes flashed, then the three mysterious cats were gone.

The silence remained for a few seconds before the striped tom spoke again.

"I think we need to tell them all at once," He murmured meekly.

The tortoiseshell nodded. "This is more serious then we took it for. We need to gather them all and brief them on their mission."

The silver tom took in another deep breath, trying to restore his calm exterior, not being particularly successful,

"The easiest way to do that would be to gather them at Moonpool," He explained with the most controlled voice he could manage. "Someone can go and tell them to meet there."

The four cats, and several others listening to their conversation, nodded in agreement.

"We just need someone to go," a cream she-cat said.

"I'll do it," A young cat said. His eyes were shining as he spoke; he was clearly eager. The cream cat thought for a moment against it, momentarily concerned by the tom's obvious youth, but eventually nodded. The young cat smiled and darted back into the crowd, joining an old white cat in their ranks.

The Starclan cats started to leave, reaching an area a few fog lengths away,and then seemingly fade away into bright, starry silhouettes. Eventually, all but 4 cats were gone. Thunder heaved himself to his feet, then padded toward the other three, who were all gathering at the intersection.

Wind Runner waited for them, then spoke.

"Starclan is being divided. Again. We cannot continue like this," She said, concern visible in her eyes.

Tall Shadow nodded, saying in a hushed voice, "The oncoming darkness will destroy everything we have worked for to revive our clans. They need us now, perhaps more then ever. And yet, we

can't help."

River Ripple sat down, then looked into his friends and Clanmate's eyes.

"There is... another option. I hate them as much as you, but they can navigate the living world without difficulty, and have no laws binding them to not interfere."

Wind Runner hissed, but Tall Shadow nodded, sighing in an oddly concerned tone, "They could wreak such havoc, but they could be our only hope... Wind Runner, you and River Ripple alone know where they are. Will you free them?"

The other she-cat looked furious with the sudden change of events, but reluctantly nodded.

"Together. We will get through this, together," Thunder said reassuringly. The 4 leaders came to a silent agreement, then they too, departed. The clearing grew dark, pitch black clouds eating away at the fading light of the full moon.

But somewhere, hidden away from the purity of StarClan that they had made to look foolish, and the evil of the Dark Forest that had always looked pitiful in comparison, two cats looked up. Up at the glow of the moon that they could see through the crack in the ceiling of the prisons that they had been trapped in for so long. And, for the first time in hundreds of moons, their malignant laughter filled the air, like the screams of their victims.

"Foolish Clan cats," they hissed. "When will they ever learn?"

 **A/N: I am giving credit for this masterpiece of a prologue to a friend of mine, who really really helped me. I don't know if they have a account, but I'll add it as soon as I know for sure.**

 **© I don't own the Warrior Cat book series, or its characters, only Erin Hunter does.**


	3. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

For those who left the IvoryClan camp early that morning, whether to go on patrol, hunt, or to just get out, it seemed like it would be the perfect early Leaf-fall day. It wasn't too cold, the leaves that always made hunting so difficult had yet to fall and still remained on the trees, casting dappled shadows wherever you look, and it seemed like the whole world was still and quiet. But for those _in_ the IvoryClan camp, it was a different matter all together.

Yet another wail rang out, as Dapplespot's labour continued.

The whole Nursery had been cleared out, and the irritated Kits and Queens were resting in the Apprentice den, out of the wind and away from the noise and business of the rest of camp.

Anxiety and fear-scent filled the air, as several cats in the clan wondered if the Queen and her kits would even make it through the day.

But surprisingly, it was the father of the kits, along with the Medicine Cat Apprentice, who kept everyone calm and rational. There was not a trace of concern on his face as he sat watching the Nursery with pride in his green eyes.

"The pain will make her stronger. The others will respect her for getting through the pain and bearing healthy kits, for carrying on," he said confidently to the Medicine Cat Apprentice, a young she-cat by the name of Sweetfern. She frowned at his lack of concern for his obviously-in-pain mate.

"I get that image is important to you, along with your pride, but can you at least try to act like you're worried?" she questioned, but before he could come up with a suave and yet sinister answer, she was called back into the den as the wailing was replaced by low groans and whimpers.

After a second or two, the old Medicine Cat, a tall, wiry old tom, exited the spacious tunnel that lead down to the warm, moss-filled Nursery that all eyes had been trained on for what felt like moons.

"Dapplespot has given birth to two healthy kits, one she-cat, and one tom," he announced with a purr, as the clan let out jubilant cries, whether from joy about the new kits, or relief that they could finally go to sleep, it was unknown. Badgerstar trotted over, giving Foxheart a friendly nudge on the cheek, oddly affectionate for the normally loud, crass leader.

"Congatulations. Let's see how well you take to being a father. Not particularly well, I assume," she teased fondly, happy for her kithood friend..

"I'll be the best father IvoryClan has ever seen," he replied, holding his head up high, barely managing to make eye-contact with the massive she-cat in front of him.

"Keep telling yourself that, now go see your mate," the leader laughed in response as he nodded, disappearing down the tunnel like the fox he was named after.

She glanced around at her clan, as they slowly trickled back into their dens to get an hour or so more of rest before the day started. There was no Apprentices currently, so the Queens and their dozing kits remained curled up where they were, talking in slow, sleepy voices, too tired to get up, too awake to go to sleep.

Laughing once more to herself, she padded back to her den, still smiling as she added to herself, "Those poor kits, having such a perfectionist for a father."

Foxheart proudly purred as his mate, a long, lean tortoiseshell, came into view. She calmly cleaned herself, a smile appearing on her fluffy face as he curled up behind her, laying one paw on her stomach, and softly nuzzling her cheek. She let out an exhausted sigh, leaning against him.

"You got the kits you wanted," She sighed. "A tom and a she-cat, ready to take over the clans. When they're finished training you can launch your attack."

It was a joke, he knew. It was a common joke among IvoryClan cats, that his pride and ambition would eventually lead him to taking over the whole forest. He would take offence at it, if it wasn't true, which was mostly the reason he found it so amusing.

He looked over his mate's still-round belly, and grinned at the sight of the wriggling little scraps of fur.

One of them, the tom, seemed to be halfway between gold and ginger, with faint stripes clear across his back. He barely had enough fur to cover his body, which meant that he was probably a short-furred cat. He squirmed closer to the smell of milk, revealing bright white paws, and a tiny white, pointed muzzle.

"Sunkit," he proclaimed, before he turned his attention to the female. She appeared to be a tortoiseshell, like her mother, with small cream paws. She had thicker fur, so she was probably a long-, or medium-furred cat.

"She'll be Patchki-" he broke off as she rolled over, his face transforming into one of utter horror.

He turned to his mate with a furious look on his face. She flinched as the paw he had placed lightly on her stomach, was now pressing down on it with unprecedented force.

" _What_ ," he spat, "is that _thing_?" Dapplespot looked at him without emotion, her bright eyes boring into his dark, fury-filled ones.

"Your kit," she replied, turning to look at her small, helpless offspring. Her face was split cleanly down the middle, one side blacker than night, the other side the exact same color as her brother. She opened her tiny pink mouth as she finally found the big thing that smelt of milk. Her eyes opened a fraction, in that blind way that kits do, but through the pale coloring it appeared she not only had a different colored face, she had different colored eyes as well.

"That is not a kit," Foxheart said, eerily calm. "That _thing_ is a monster."

He turned to look at her once more, and his face convulsed with rage.

"A monster!" he screeched, getting to his paws, his tail lashing furiously from side to side, like a snake.

"She's your kit!" Dapplespot yowled back as he stormed out the den. "I know you wanted the perfect kits, but she is perfect in her own way!"

Dapplespot growled as she heard the furious screeches from outside the den. She gently nuzzled her anxious kits, smoothing down their pelts with long, slow licks.

"Don't you listen to him, okay?" She murmured to her daughter. "You're fine just the way you are. It doesn't matter how many colors you are, or what you look like."

She thought for a brief moment.

"Dualkit."

Outside, there was chaos. Foxheart was in a rage as he marched in front of a new audience, screeching madly about how his kit was a monster, an abomination, and everything in between. But as Badgerstar, Patchfur and a whole host of cats tried to calm him down, the two Medicine Cats sat away from the others, talking quietly as they cleaned their den, occasionally turning their heads to look at the chaos outside.

"Mark my words, Foxheart isn't to be trusted. He's malicious, dangerous, a perfectionist in every way, I mean," here the young apprentice turned to look at her mentor. "You're hearing how he's reacting to his daughter. What kind of father calls his own daughter a monster?"

There was a pause, as she waited for her mentor's response.

"Sweetfern, it is true that Foxheart is a danger," he replied in a gravelly, odd tone as a range of herbs were removed from their bundles. "But we must not interfere. Those kits have a destiny set in stone. No matter what, their story will continue as it should."

His apprentice froze as she was about to place Watermint into the bundle of herbs for stomach aches, her head turning so she could stare at her mentor incredulously, with big green eyes. Her pale brown face showed nothing but shock as she watched her mentor obliviously continue to sort herbs..

"You got a prophecy, didn't you?"

The old mentor sighed and finally turned around to face her, "Yes. And mark my words," he murmured, his eyes flickering to the ever-growing crowd outside. "Those kits are something special."

He got to his paws, walking towards her and lightly pressing his nose against her forehead.

"You must help them, Sweetfern. Show them the way. Be kind. Be someone they can trust and confide in, because StarClan knows they'll need someone exactly like that."

 **A/N: So that does it for the first chapter in a long line. So far I'm really pleased with how it's going, but I'd love your opinions on it!**

 **© I don't own the Warrior Cat book series, or its characters, only Erin Hunter does.**


	4. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

Things were as calm as one could hope for on a Leaf-fall afternoon in the heart of IvoryClan territory. A slender tortoiseshell she-cat padded through the sparse woodland, frowning at the leaves that crunched beneath even her dainty paws. 

"Good thing we managed to catch something before the trees decided to shed on us, right? Dapplespot? Don't go all dreamy on me again," a voice chuckled from behind her. She rolled her eyes at the Deputy, bumping her shoulder into his in a friendly manner, not dignifying him with a response. She couldn't if she wanted to, for her mouth was filled with the soft brown fur of an unlucky wild rabbit. 

Instead, she slipped into a tunnel, navigating through it with ease until she finally reached the surface again, now just outside camp. 

"You really shouldn't be out of camp," the other cat on the patrol, a young she-cat called Frostblaze, sighed. 

Dapplespot let out a decisive snort that didn't take a genius to interpret. _Better out here than avoiding that mousebrain in my own camp._

She glanced around as she placed the prey down on the - rather small - pile, letting out an affectionate hum as she saw the two tiny splashes of colour amongst the faded pelts of the Elders.

"...and so, over mountains and through forests and places that we can scarcely imagine, the leaders of the four old clans lead the cats to their new home..." a cheerful voice explained, a smile on her face as she looked down at the tiny ball of fur that was curled up by her paws. 

Sunkit stared back up at her with utter delight in his eyes, ears twitching and paws kneading the ground impatiently as he listened to the story. But behind the she-cat, behind the other Elders who beamed down at the small tom, was an even smaller she-cat, with a strange multi-coloured pelt. 

"But isn't that story made up?" Dualkit asked the tired older tom who slept curled away from the others. "Why would they tell us something that's not even true?" 

The tom, Oakleaf, laughed at her confused whisper. 

"Finally, a kit with some sense. You get that from your mother, your father's the most show-offish, snobby cat I've ever met," he informed her off topic, opening one still-bright eye. 

He sighed as he noticed her blank stare, one ear down, head tilted to one side. 

"Most kits would believe you if you told them that a rabbit's a mouse if you made up a story to go with it." 

"...but a rabbit isn't a mouse."

Oakleaf let out a groan, rolling onto his back with irritation now present in his dark eyes. 

"Stop being a grump, Oakleaf, " Sandtail purred, stumbling over and resting her head against her mate's neck. 

Dualkit continued watching them blankly, head still tilted in a confused manner, until her brother ran over, nipping her on the ear. 

She yelped, chasing him out of the Elder den and barreling straight into Softkit - an only kit born just a moon after them. 

There were no large kits in the Nursery, but when Softkit was born she was barely bigger than a mouse, and had scarcely grown since then. Her fur was as soft as her name suggested, and a light cream colour, with oddly large, almost round yellow eyes. 

The four-moon-old she-kit squeaked as they tumbled around, and only squeaked more as Sunkit joined in their kitten pile. The ginger tom looked worried for a second, and it took a moment for Dualkit to realise that he was worried about the pale kit underneath them. But Softkit was grinning playfully, and wriggled out from under Dualkit to leap on Sunkit's back, and suddenly it was _his_ turn to be buried under a mass of giggling kits. 

Several smiling, fond-looking Warriors turned to watch the kits play, and Dualkit noticed out of the corner of her eye a dark-furred Apprentice watching her tussle. 

Thin, gently curved ears picked up on small bits and pieces of conversation. 

"-look at him, holding his own against two others, he'll make a great Warrior one day-"

"-I mean, Softkit was pretty agile there, escaping her older denmates-"

"-IvoryClan is going to get two great Warriors soon-"

"-you mean three." 

The cheerful talking quite simply died as embarrassment and tension filled the air in its wake. 

One cat's ears flattened, and an ashamed look took over his face under Dapplespot's ferocious glare. 

"Uhh, yeah, three great Warriors. I, well, I must have miscounted-" he backtracked, fidgeting as he was interrupted by a cold, clear voice. 

"-no, you didn't. There will only be two new, strong Warriors: and one disappointment," a tom, sitting in the shade of the old oak by the edge of camp, snarled. 

Dapplespot's fur began to bristle, as the kits stopped their play-fighting to watch. 

"Get out of here, Foxheart. You have no place in this discussion," Mudpelt, the deputy, hissed. 

"Oh, look who's talking - the former rogue with a mate barely old enough to be an Apprentice, let alone-" 

"I'm a Warrior you piece of fox-dung! A better one than you, for sure!" Frostblaze snarled, backed up almost instantly by her sister, Leafpelt. 

Foxheart sneered at them, stalking over to the kits and lowering his massive, dark ginger head until it was level with Dualkit's. 

"Two of them are my kits, sadly, so I do have a say in the discussion. And I say, that this abomination will never be a Warrior," he said, voice low and dangerous. He was shoved out the way as Dapplespot sprung at him, sending him tumbling off to the side. 

"Go to the Nursery, kits," she said in an eerily calm tone. "Amberfoot will tell you a story." 

Sunkit and Softkit didn't need to be told twice, but Dualkit was still staring at her father. 

"Why am I an amomlibination- an abom- abomination?" She asked, so innocently, so like a kit, that Dapplespot felt like her heart would break in two. 

"You're not. Now go to the Nursery," the Queen said in a brisk tone as Foxheart stalked towards them. Satisfied that she had been given a straight answer for once, Dualkit padded after her friends, flinching as the screeching began. 

Amberfoot, a beautiful ginger and white she-cat, who was Softkit's mother, unfurled her big, fluffy tail from around Sunkit and Softkit, allowing Dualkit to curl up next to her before she surrounded them all with warmth and fluff. 

A natural mother, far more natural than Dapplespot. who had insisted on going out to hunt and resuming her Warrior duties when her kits were barely two moons old, Amberfoot doted on all the kits and, in fact, several of the Apprentices, and had told them several times how she would stay in the Nursery even after Softkit became Softpaw. 

"Hello there, Dualkit. I was just saying to these two that I'll tell you all the story of how Badgerstar came to ruling our clan," she chirped. 

Yet another reason Dualkit liked her: she only ever told true stories. 

The kind Queen had only just reached the part about the death of Badgerstar's mother when Dapplespot stumbled in, yowls sounding out behind her. 

Amberfoot let out a dramatic gasp, and Sunkit stared, but Dualkit and Softkit could only gape, trying desperately think of something to say, to no avail. 

Four long, cruel red marks were visible on the independent Queen's cheek, and a chunk of fur on her shoulder had been ripped out. 

Amberfoot's normally soft face contorted with anger, and she sprung to her paws, marching out of the den with her tail lashing, Softkit following her with frantic little squeaks.

"What happened?" Sunkit whispered, as his usual energy and spunk deserted him. Temporarily, that is. 

"Was there a battle? Did you guys fight rogues? Did we miss anything? If I was there, I'd have torn those filthy flee-bags to pieces!" He announced, having already made up his mind about what had happened. But Dualkit kept on looking at her with confused eyes, eyes that were flickering with a strange hunger for knowledge. 

"You're not to go anywhere near your father, do you hear me?" Dapplespot said urgently, sweeping her kits towards her with her tail. 

"Who hurt you?" Dualkit asked in a quiet voice. 

For once, it was her mother's turn to look at her with blank, expressionless eyes. 

"Someone who never changes," she replied. "Not really. Now go to sleep." 

Both of her kits opened their mouths to protest, but a brief glare was enough to get them to settle down. 

Dapplespot sighed as she was left alone with her own thoughts, and the pain in her cheek and shoulder. 

"My love," she murmured, as a single drop of crimson fell down, and was absorbed by the mossy floor of the den. "What have you become?"

-

Dualkit glanced around warily. She didn't recognise the place she was in, but by the scents and appearance she would say that she was still in her clan's territory. 

Before she could decide which direction to go in, a tiny, beautiful butterfly fluttered past, and as instinct took over, she took to chasing the thing s narrowed in concentration as she sprung into the air continuously, the soft grass cushioning her falls. 

"You'll get nowhere trying to catch it like that," a warm voice purred. She turned around, eyes alighting upon a large white tom cat. Everything about him seemed kind enough, apart from his eyes - a cruel, dark amber that resembled blood more than orange. 

"Come here," he laughed, making some odd gesture with his tail. "I'll show you how to catch it." 

"Don't listen to him, he couldn't catch a dead rabbit," another, female voice snorted. A black she-cat with large, crystal-clear blue eyes, emerged. 

"Don't be so mean," the tom chided gently, eyes growing warm at the sight of the cat, while in contrast, her eyes grew stony and cold as she gave him a brisk once-over. 

She made a weird gesture with her paw. After doing it several times and seemingly realising that Dualkit wasn't understanding, she sighed in an exasperated tone, "Come over here and I'll show you." 

Dualkit remained rooted to the spot as their voices grew louder, more commanding. 

"Come here!"

"Ignore him! Over here!"

"Dualkit! Wake up!" 

Multicoloured eyes flew open, fur standing up on end. Sunkit beamed excitedly down at her. 

"Come on, get up!" He exclaimed. "We're 6 moons old! We're gonna be Apprentices today!"

-

 **A/N: So sorry for the delay in updating, these past few weeks have been hellish. I'm going to try and update semi-regularly (around 2-3 times a month) but there may be times where I go for several weeks without uploading.**

 **© I do not own Warrior Cats, Erin Hunter does  
**

 **© I do own this story**


	5. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

For a long moment, Dualkit stared blankly at her brother, her mind too filled with thoughts to process what had been said. But as she realised, a grin slowly began to form on her fluffy face, and she let out a delighted squeal, jumping up and tackling her brother.

"We're six moons old!" Dualkit squealed.

"We'll be Apprentices!" Sunkit yelled back, eyes shining.

"What?"

Softkit raised her head sleepily, with those big sad eyes now directed at them.

"You're leaving the Nursery?" She whispered. "But I'll be all alone."

"Well, yeah," Sunkit snorted. "But we'll be Apprentices! We can still play with you and stuff, but we'll be learning to defend the clan!"

"Yeah, and that's kind of more important than playing around all day," Dualkit added, misinterpreting Softkit's sad expression as an irritated pout.

"O-OK," The younger kit murmured, placing her head back down on the moss with her ears flat against her round little head.

Sunkit seemed prepared to say something else, but his ears suddenly perked up as pawsteps drew close to the Nursery. Dapplespot stuck her head inside, grabbing him roughly by the scruff and pulling him outside.

"Dapplespot!" Sunkit squeaked indignantly while Dualkit raced out to join them. Their mother was grooming him with long, firm strokes, until every hair that normally stuck out at odd angles was flattened, only then allowing him to wriggle out of her grasp.

"Now, don't you dare mess up your fur, Sunkit. You need to be presentable, the whole clan will be watching," Dapplespot lectured, pulling her youngest kit towards her in a much gentler manner.

"Who's going to mentor us?" Dualkit asked, tilting her head as her mother attempted to smooth down the odd tufts of fur behind her ears.

"Yeah, who?" Sunkit chirped. "I want to be mentored by Badgerstar!"

Dapplespot chuckled softly as she gave up on the fur behind her daughter's ears.

"Daisypaw is Badgerstar's Apprentice, silly!" Dualkit giggled, raising one paw and rasping her tongue over it. Sunkit made a face, groaning loudly.

"Daisypaw and Blackpaw are so obnoxious! They get to do everything, it's so unfair," he pouted, turning his head to watch as the two Apprentices left their den.

Daisypaw's creamy fur shone brightly in her morning sun, and her bright eyes scanned the camp slowly, while her brother, Blackpaw, stretched out with a yawn, turning to look in Sunkit and Dualkit's direction.

Sunkit grumbled as his mother leaned forward to groom a piece of fur she seemed to have forgotten.

"I've been arguing with Badgerstar over it for a few days, and we've found good mentors for you both. Someone to teach you patience, and someone who can put up with your sister asking questions every two seconds," Dapplespot purred warmly, as Badgerstar emerged from her den at long last, leaping up onto the top of a tall pile of rocks to call a meeting.

Her pelt was littered with scars, and muscles rippled under her mostly-dark fur. Blindingly bright strips of white ran down her back and face, turning into rings on her tail. Fiery eyes gleamed, and there was a flash of claws and teeth as she stopped her climb. There was a reason she was regarded as an oddity, for while many of her clanmates were lean, and believed in only fighting battles that could be won, her and the younger generation were far bulkier, and far more abrasive towards cats in other clans.

Looking as formidable as the creature she was named after, Badgerstar let out a yowl of, "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the Tall Stones for a clan meeting!"

Cats slowly wandered towards the far end of camp, many still with sleep present in their eyes. Dualkit felt a strange twinge in her gut as Foxheart took his seat, and every cat within three tail-lengths of him moved away. He didn't seem phased by this, instead looking up at Badgerstar with a scowl.

"Sunkit, step forward," Badgerstar commanded. With confident strides, Dualkit's littermate marched towards the Tall Stones.

"Sunkit, you are now six moons old, and ready to be apprenticed. From now, until the day you are ready to become a Warrior, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Mudpelt, may he pass on all that he knows on to you," Badgerstar boomed, before turning her head.

"Mudpelt, you have been my deputy for just seven moons, and have already proved yourself to be patient and loyal beyond words. I believe you are ready for another Apprentice, and may you pass down all your skills to Sunkit. We all still mourn the death of Brightpaw, but but the time has come to move on."

The Deputy nodded, grief and determination shining in his eyes. He walked forward, lowering his head to touch noses with Sunpaw.

"Dualkit, step forward," Badgerstar called, and it seemed like the whole clan was holding its breath as the strange she-kit cautiously obeyed.

"You, like Sunpaw, are also six moons old, and equally ready to become an Apprentice. From now, until the day you become a Warrior, you will be known as Dualpaw. Your mentor will be Lightstripe, and may he teach you all that he has learnt. Lightstripe, you are not the most experienced Warrior, but you are courageous and truly a force to be reckoned with in battle. May you mentor Dualpaw well, and pass down all that you know to her."

"I will, Badgerstar," The thin tabby called, bounding forward proudly and touching noses with his new Apprentice in a surprisingly gentle manner.

The cats of IvoryClan raised their heads to the sky, beginning to chant loudly and clearly, the names of their new Apprentices.

Sunpaw puffed his chest out, basking in the attention, while Dualpaw smiled shyly as both of them made their way back into the crowd.

"Congratulations," Blackpaw whispered to Dualpaw, a smile present on his face."You did better than me, I fell flat on my face running up there. My mentor was still laughing when they came forward."

Dualpaw giggled, forcing herself not to question why his mentor was laughing. But as the crowd dispersed and their mentors ushered them out of camp, Blackpaw kept smiling at her retreating back.

"You're something special, Dualpaw," he murmured, getting to his paws. "You just don't realise it yet."

-

"But _why_ can't the Elders get their own moss, it's not far from camp," Dualpaw questioned as she carefully pulled moss off the trunk of a fallen tree, laying it down next to her in a neat pile.

Lightstripe took a moment to respond, as he untangled his tail from around a branch.

"Because they are older than us, and it is a sign of respect for us to change their bedding and bring them food. Besides, with all the cramps they get it's no wonder that they can barely walk across camp without taking a break every second," Her mentor replied, used to her constant inquiries.

Satisfied for the moment, there was near-silence as they both worked on removing the moss, and then pulling off some of the bark ("For the Medicine cat." "Why does she need tree bark?" "Do I look like a Medicine Cat to you?" "No... why would I think you were one?" "Never mind.") until a flash of brown in the grass made Dualpaw pause.

"Will you teach me how to hunt?" She asked, clambering onto the trunk to stare down at Lightstripe.

He looked up at her, head cocked to one side, and Dualpaw noted that it must be a family thing, due to her mother - his sister - mentioning the fact that shedid it all the time.

Dualpaw was so lost in this revelation, that when he jumped onto the trunk next to her she let out a startled squeak, tumbling backwards onto her pile of moss.

"Sure," Her uncle laughed. "No one is going to steal moss anyway."

"Why not?"

Lightstripe did not respond, instead grinning as he begun to bound forward, forcing Dualpaw to run behind him to keep up.

"Watch and learn!" He beamed. "Other cats rely on stealth, but what's far better is... surprise!"

He sprung through a tall patch of grass, and Dualpaw stopped running to catch her breath, instead marvelling at how her mentor chased down the rabbit. Never letting it run too far, blocking off it's every attempt at escape, until finally he could spring onto it and cause the life to flood from the innocent creature's eyes.

Out of breath, he padded over to her, but it was a few minutes before he could say what he wanted to, as they carried the rabbit back to the tree.

"Don't try that. I was just showing off. But what I said about surprise is correct. Other cats, like from IvyClan or SkullClan, they live in the forest so they have to rely on stealth, listening and scenting, because they can't see their prey, while it can see them. Here, because there are barely any trees and with the wind always changing directions _plus_ the fact that half the time it's so strong we can't hear each other, means we have to rely on other methods, along with good eyesight. Any questions?"

As per usual, Dualpaw did have questions. Questions that just kept coming, and they were heading through the tunnel back to camp when her last inquiries were answered in the bluntest way possible.

"What if you're a blind Warrior?"

"Ever heard of a blind Warrior?"

"No..."

"Exactly," Lightstripe finished, bounding forward to deposit the rabbit on the prey pile.

Before Dualpaw could follow, however, a screeching yellow ball of fur tackled her into camp.

"It was amazing!" Sunpaw babbled."We saw Blackpaw and Daisypaw train - Daisypaw is _so_ good - and then we went to see the best hunting spots, and we saw Lightstripe catch that rabbit. You have the _best_ mentor, Mudpelt's so _boring_."

"I'll chase you down like that rabbit if you're not careful," Mudpelt teased as he trotted past with his brother, Dustface, and their mates, Leafpelt and Frostblaze.

Sunpaw pouted as he clambered off of his sister, barely a allowing her enough time to sit up before he was dragging her off to the Apprentice den, where Blackpaw and Daisypaw were sharing tongues.

"Buzz off," Daisypaw sighed immediately, without looking up, but her brother seemed in a much better mood.

He promptly shifted until he was sitting up, smiling warmly at the younger Apprentices.

"Hey guys," He chirped, nudging Daisypaw until she sat up with a dramatic groan.

"'Sup, Squirts." She yawned, staring at them grumpily. "Nice, another midget who can become my minion. The Elders need to be de-ticked and we've already been doing stuff all day so... get to it."

Blackpaw raised his paw to cuff her around her head, and Sunpaw indignantly opened his mouth with irritation in his eyes, but before either of them could act, a firm voice interrupted.

"That sounds like a great idea. Sunpaw, to the Elder den, Dualpaw, come and I'll get you some Mousebile and some herbs for their joints," Sweetfern, the Medicine Cat, ordered, winking at the laughing older Apprentices, while Sunpaw just looked incredulous as his sister begun to follow the Medicine Cat back to her den.

Dualpaw followed the pretty she-cat silently still trying to work out what had just happened. _Blackpaw and Sunpaw were annoyed at Daisypaw... but where did Sweetfern come from? Why did she wink? Why did she pick me to get the mousebile?_ And a thousand other questions were running through her head, even as she stepped through the entrance to the Medicine Den, surrounded by enough herbs and smells and _stuff_ to keep her asking questions for a life time.

"Come here," Sweetfern called, breaking her out of her dream-like state. For the second time that day, Dualpaw obeyed orders to come forward.

"This moss has Mousebile on it, use it to apply some of the stuff to each tick. Wash your paws after using it. And while one of you does that, the other applies this poultice to any aching or sore joints the Elders have, OK?" The Medicine Cat instructed clearly.

Dualpaw nodded, but as she moved forward to pick up the Mousebile a paw came out and held her in place.

"Through the misty veil of darkness, the light will flicker out and die. Unless the veil lifts, whereupon a great duel will emerge, to save many from the whisper of evil. The tree can protect and save, but in the end, only the dark and light, day and night, sunrise and sunset, only they will be able to vanquish _him,_ The Fox that comes back seeking revenge. On the fourth moon of the fourth season, beware, for that is when he will strike. And it is then that the loss will truly be felt."

Sweetfern spoke so quickly that Dualpaw could barely understand what she was saying, but as she opened her mouth to ask the older cat to repeat herself, she once again begun talking.

"Listen, Dualpaw. No more questions, not just with me, but with everyone. Be as blunt as you wish, don't be afraid to hurt other cats' feelings, OK? If you're confused, just say it. If you want to know more, just say it. If you don't like something, just say it. But no. More. Questions. Do you understand?" Sweetfern snapped so sharply that Dualpaw could only nod, eyes wide.

But then, just like that, the Medicine cat was as sweet and as soft as her name suggested.

"Good," she said in a chirpy tone. "Now run along, back to your brother. He's probably bored out of his mind. "

Once again, Dualpaw could only nod mutely as she grabbed the poultice and mousebile, before she sprinted out of the Medicine den as fast as she could, eyes wide, while only one word filled up her thoughts.

 _What!?_

 **A/N: Sorry this was so late! It's been a busy Half-term, but I did make it longer than usual to make up for the wait x)**


End file.
